The Brief: The yee haw cowboy meme challenge on TikTok shows people transforming into cowboys and cowgirls.
DEEP DIVE
Cowboy-related memes are trending across the web. On TikTok, the most popular iteration of a cowboy meme is often called the “Yee Haw Challenge” or labeled with the hashtag #yeehaw. The premise of this challenge is that someone “turns into” a cowboy or cowgirl, often after consuming a beverage labeled “yee haw juice.” This skit is performed to the song “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X.
The lyrics to the clip included in these TikTok videos go:
“Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more
I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more
Kio, KioI got the horses in the back
Horse tack is attached
Hat is matte black
Got the boots that’s black to match”
Usually, when the beat drops right before the line “I got the horses in the back,” people make their transformation into a cowboy or cowgirl. In some variations of this meme, someone thinks that they are drinking eGirl or eBoy “juice” only to realize that they’re really drinking cowboy or yee haw “juice.” After the transformation takes place, people usually dance along to the rest of the song clip, often performing exaggerated cowboy gestures. Other variations of this meme include jokes and unexpected elements, such as having a cat drink the yee haw juice, or including live alpacas in the video.